Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-12-23

moline tnlB MOrnlnk--sA SOihsiVu
and ITS Results.
Persons who chsnced to be any where
on Moline avenue between Rock Island
and Moline between 1880 and 8 o'clock
this morning. witnessed sight which is
not beheld more than once in life time,
if at all. 1t is not an altogether unusual
occurrence to see a riderless horse tear
ing through the streets. or perchance an
uncomfortable team. but to see huge
locomotive snorting along at full speed
without human form about it, impresses
one at once with awe and fear. Such,
nevertheless. was the spectacle which
met the gaze of residents and others
between the two cities this morning.
1t was about fifteen minutes before 8 |
O'Clock that engine 372, Of the c., B. & |
O., came laundering and putting down
the main track under full Roadway. The
engine was going backward. 1t fairly
few over the steel. The great iron steed
started on its mad journey IN the upper
part of Moline, and did not stop until the
c., R. I. & P. crossing was reached, when
it halted for want of breath the
steam had become entirely exhausted.
The circumstances which led to this
novel episode were almost as peculiar as
the locomotives freak In itself. and If the
result is not the finding of some railroad
mans neck in a sling. so to speak, it will
be as strange as the incident Road To-
connective 372 has been doing switch en-
CINE duty in the c., B. & Q. yards for q
few days, the regular switch engine being
in the shops. This morning Yardmaster
Hardy Hetter and his helper, John Al
brecht took the engine and went to Mo-
line to do some switching. The en-
gineer was William Scully and the fire.
man, George Martin. These four men
were on the engine, which was
'1ight"-without cars-when Moline wa;
reached. 1t was then, according to thu
d time-pieces of the men on the engine
7:5O o'clock. Train No. 9, which is th'
St. Louis and Denver fast freight, If OIL
q time, is due to leave Port Byron at 7:5
y coming this way. There were some car
" to get out OF the Dimick & Gould yard
and the switch engine crew thought Their
would be time enough to make the switc
into the yards in the east pal
of Moline before the fai
freight came down. 30 OF the
put, sending the locomotive ahead at
lively rate. They had scarcely gotte
under way when the freight engine sh'
Il into sight. 1t was travelling rapidly ar
both crews at once beheld the peril thu
8. were in. Almost simultaneously DO
engineers reversed their engines al
leaped for their lives. The freight ira
~ was in charge o. Conductor Zimmerms
with Engineer Bowser and Firem
Sleeth on the engine. which was No. II
The crews had not more than made thu
escape when the two massive machlI
came together with terrific crash. I
two steeds came to an abrupt stop, q
then as if terror stricken. both beg
backing. The shock caused the reve
of the machinery to take effect, and b
er- locomotives started back. Firen
Sleeth jumped on the foot-board OF
de 1O4, and quickly shut of the steam,
this trick was not SO easily played NJ
the S72, for she slid off like March b
'oo' and began her wild trip to Rock Isla
Yardmsster Hetter hurried with all P
the sible haste to the nearest telephone
warned the c.. R. l. & P. and the d.
town c.. B. & Q. offices to look out
the wild engine. The switch OF the
B. & O. and c., R. l. & T. eros
was properly turned, while everytl
was arranged in a jiffy to sidetrack
engine should it reach the c., B.
yards.
les, The pondsrous concern Travelled al
rate of q mile minute between Nh
oas and Rock Island, traversing the
miles and half over which it pssse
less than three minutes, and had mo-
7ntS. telephone worked admirably there v
75c. undoubtedly have been q COLLISION a
C.,R.I.&P. crossing. The fdriou
connective came down and arount
great embankment extending out
Sylvan water and into the c., r. L.
lnL wards like fash. She got fairly
the crossing, back Of the Gable mar
when she stopped short. She wa
W up badly damaged when examined by
man Dempsy of the c.. B. & Q, T
II 60 house. The pilot and headlight
smashed and the forward trucks o
oon place as q result of the collision a
trucks grinding against the cylint
what wore the engine out--caused
labor more and consume more
Otherwise the result might have
more serious. as she would very
have encountered vehicles at th
othel proaches to the government bridge
mas the fatal Eleventh street crossing
line, a teamster had just gotten o.
track when the merciless engine
past.
The freight engine suffered con
BILE damage. the pilot and other p
the machinery being destroyed.
number of cars were "
Cuffs, The crew of the freight
claim that they left Port
Junction on time. while the
engine crew aver that No. Q wa
minutes ahead. The road Off1cia
alone fix the blame.
A Fire Scene.
.fs Meesrs. Barnerd. Brahm and